Chelsea will ‘turn attention to a third forward’ after Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, according to reports.
Nkunku made a pre-contract agreement to join Chelsea in December but has now completed the move for a reported £52million.
And Nicolas Jackson’s arrival is thought to be imminent after the Blues activated the striker’s release clause of £30m.
But in a bid to ensure they score more than 38 goals next season, Football Insider claim new manager Mauricio Pochettino wants to add a ‘high profile’ out-and-out striker to his ranks.
A number of top strikers have been linked, most of which Manchester United are also after (though they’ll have to pay over the odds to land any of them), but the report claims Napoli star Victor Osimhen and Inter’s Lautaro Martinez are top of the Blues’ shortlist.
Osimhen, who’s also been linked with Bayern Munich, played a starring role in Napoli’s Serie A title win, scoring 31 goals in 39 games in all competitions.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis says they have a “basic agreement” in place to extend the Nigerian’s contract, though admits a mammoth offer may be too good to turn down, after he previously set Osimhen’s price tag at €150m (£129m).
De Laurentiis said, “We already talked to Osimhen before the Scudetto celebration, so we already have a basic agreement on a two-year extension of his contract.
“I have said for a while that Osimhen has to stay. Then, if an offer came in that I could not refuse for the good of Napoli, then we would consider it, as is only natural.”
Martinez meanwhile was key to Inter’s run to the Champions League final, and like their Serie A rivals, Inter would be reticent to see him leave.
But a recent report claimed that Martinez ‘is keen to complete a box-office summer move to Chelsea as Mauricio Pochettino ramps up his interest’.
The Argentina striker would be the cheaper option, with various outlets claiming Inter have set his price tag at £69.5m, but Chelsea would still have to secure plenty of exits to stump up the funds required.
They’re making a good fist of it though, with at least three players set for Saudi Arabia, Mateo Kovacic Manchester City-bound, the exits of Kai Havertz to Arsenal and Mason Mount to Manchester United also seemingly imminent, while a new club has entered the running for Romelu Lukaku.
READ MORE: Chelsea book values ahead of June 30 deadline: Havertz (£24.8m), Mount (n/a), Kovacic (£8m)…
